


Cuídame a belén

by dreamwriteremmy (ehryniewi)



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Carlos is probably Puerto Rican in this Fic, Dancing, Folk Dancing, Folk Music, Home Videos, Inspired by Music, Love, M/M, Post-Episode: e051 Rumbling, might be canon-compliant, might not be canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 10:03:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2305769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ehryniewi/pseuds/dreamwriteremmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Cecil finds drinking to forget doesn't work, instead it does the exact OPPOSITE and he remembers. And on one of those days, Carlos manages to use  his heritage to express the way he feels so close and yet so far from home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cuídame a belén

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Writerverse's Phase 12 Challenge 08: Weekly Quick Fic #3  
>  **Title:** Cuídame a belén  
>  **Prompt:** “Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” (Michel de Montaigne)  
>  **Bonus?** N  
>  **Word Count:** 361  
>  **Rating:** G  
>  **Original/Fandom:** Welcome to Night Vale  
>  **Pairings (if any):** Carlos/Cecil Palmer  
>  **Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc):** None  
>  **Summary:** Sometimes Cecil finds drinking to forget doesn't work, instead it does the exact OPPOSITE and he remembers. And on one of those days, Carlos manages to use his heritage to express the way he feels so close and yet so far from home.  
>  **Notes:** The song Carlos sings is [Mamá, cuídame a belén](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sFyaaNEfN4). The general context of the song is that usually a grieving mother would sing this asking another mother to take care of one's beloved. My church service used this song this morning and it struck me as working very well here.

Cecil looks at the phone on the kitchen bar counter balanced against the bottle of wine. Drinking to forget doesn't always work. It works less when he gets video messages like this. Maybe that's why he does it. There's nothing like wanting to forget turning into remembering clearly instead. 

At least this time Carlos's video is coming through without any censorship (though he's pretty sure there's a Sheriff's Secret Police Officer watching him anyway just in case) and he's mildly amused since it looks like Carlos has let some of his new friends help him with whatever this video is Carlos is setting up for. Someone else is holding the phone for Carlos (he suspects probably Doug). 

"Hi Cecil. This is... a little different from the way I'm used to dancing this bomba, but.. we're making do with what we have. I'm getting a little help." 

Carlos sets a rhythm with his feet which the drummers he's recruited match up, though it's clear the sound of rocks drumming together isn't quite what Carlos is used to as he sings, "Mamá, cuídame a belén. Cuídame a belén. Cuídame a belén, Mamá."

The words get harder to follow as Cecil drinks (the version of Spanish Carlos sings is not quite like Night Vale's variations and Carlos as a native speaker sings it very fast). But, Cecil finds his feet tap to the drumbeat anyway and the desire to dance and try to sing to the music along with Carlos wins out (it's catchy, and while he's sure he's fumbling some of the words, he's also sure Carlos will forgive him because it's the thought that counts). 

Carlos dips his head once when the song's over and looking up with his perfect smile, though it's a sad and tired one. "If you're wondering, Cecil, the words you could probably catch mean 'Mother, please take care of my belén.' _Belén_ doesn't exactly have an English translation, but in this context it can be a child, a home, a city, anything the singer holds dear. Right now, I'm thinking of all those things. I love you, Cecil. I'm still trying, promise. I'll talk to you tomorrow."


End file.
